This Air fryer Shrimp without breading is juicy, succulent, perfectly seasoned with simple pantry spices and ready in under 10 minutes. It is perfect to be made into tacos, bowls, salads, quesadillas and more!

I wanted an air fryer shrimp recipe that is wonderfully sweet, infused with deep spicy flavor but still tender and succulent.
Although shrimp is easily made in a skillet, like this shrimp and broccoli stir fry, air frying is hands free cooking and it cooks perfect every single time, like the air fryer breaded shrimp. It is fast, easy, healthy, flavorful and is delicious made into a lunch or dinner idea for lent.
Refrigerated or fresh shrimp that you see in the grocery store is almost always frozen shrimp that has been defrosted and put on display. So, you're better off buying frozen prawns and defrosting just before cooking.
Jump to:
Why you'll love it?
- Ready in 10 minutes
- No breading
- Used to make a plethora of dishes
- Quick and easy recipe
- No marination needed
- Cooks juicy and succulent
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Shrimp - I used thawed frozen shrimp that are patted dry, with the tails on for prettier presentation.
- Seasoning - Basic pantry spices like cayenne, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt.
- Oil - It distributes all the flavors evenly over the flesh, to make it taste better than ever like in BBQ salmon.
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
Tip: I like to leave the tails intact for a more attractive presentation, but feel free to remove them if you prefer.
How to serve?
This air fryer shrimp recipe without breading is delicious made into a plethora of dishes for dinner, lunch or appetizer. Here are few suggestions:
- Appetizer - Serve with cilantro sauce, avocado crema, creamy salsa dip or ranch dressing for dipping.
- Sandwich - Use this instead of the skillet cooked shrimp to make spicy shrimp sandwich.
- Salads - Toss in your favorite green salads or make lettuce wraps.
- Tacos - These are delicious made into air fryer shrimp tacos along with your favorite taco fixins.
- Burrito bowls - Make a bowl with cilantro rice, avocado, cooked corn, black beans, cilantro and pico de gallo or salsa.
Want To Save This Recipe?
How to store leftovers?
- Fridge - Leftovers can be stored in an air tight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze - Freeze in zip lock bag or freezer safe container for up to one month.
- Reheat - Reheat in the microwave or air fryer for about 2 minutes.
Helpful tips
- Don't overcrowd - I used 6 quart Instant Vortex air fryer and was able to cook one pound per batch. Cook in batches if using a larger quantity.
- Remove promptly - Over cooking will make them rubbery.
- Cook in a single layer - This ensures that they don't steam and cooks fast.
- Pat dry - Make sure to pat dry well with paper towels so the oil and spices will stick to them.
Recipe FAQs
I do not recommend frozen shrimp since the oil and seasonings will slide right away. Thaw them first before making using in the air fryer shrimp recipe. They take a few minutes to thaw under running water in a bowl of water for 10 to 15 minutes.
Place frozen ones in the basket and cook until the ice melts. Pat dry with paper towels and use in your recipe.
One of the easiest ways to identify is from the color change. It will go from grey color and turn pink or reddish in color. They also curl up into the letter C when cooked.
More shrimp dishes
Air Fryer Shrimp
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound large shrimp with or without tails
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Toss with all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine well.
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F for 8 minutes. When hot, place shrimp in a single layer and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or cooked through and tender.How long to cook? Large sized shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), cooks in 7 to 8 minutes whereas medium ones (31 to 40 per pound) will cook in 6 to 7 minutes.
- Serve with lime wedges or use it to make tacos, rice bowls, quesadillas or Mexican salads.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
Follow me on INSTAGRAM, TIK TOK, FACEBOOK or PINTEREST for more delicious recipes.
Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Thank you for supporting kitchenathoskins.com.
All contents and images are my original work, unless and otherwise mentioned. Please do not use my recipes or images without linking back to www.kitchenathoskins.com. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite in your own words and don’t forget to include a link back to the original recipe.
Leave a Reply